


Peeta's Hunger Games

by oakendurin



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: But from Peeta's POV, Gen, Pretty much all that happened in the Hunger Games, So no smut at least for now, sorry about that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-11-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 17:04:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oakendurin/pseuds/oakendurin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It is the morning of the Reaping. I am not worried, not for myself at least. I worry for her. Katniss Everdeen."</p>
<p>Exactly like the Hunger Games but from Peeta's point of view (with little details that I've made up myself).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It is the morning of the Reaping. I am not worried, not for myself at least. I worry for her. Katniss Everdeen. Her name will be entered twenty times in this year's Reaping. Watching her leave to the Capitol would break me. I suppose that is stupid because most likely she doesn't even know I exist. But I have loved her ever since we were little kids.

She has changed a lot since we were kids. She has her hair in one braid instead of two and she doesn't smile anymore. She used to smile all the time. It was nearly impossible to see her without that radiant smile on her face. But after that mining accident killed her father, she stopped smiling. The last time I remember her smiling was years ago...

 

She was walking to her sister, Prim. School had just ended and we were in the school yard. I was looking at her. For the first time in a long while, she looked happy and hopeful. Something about her reminded me of the old Katniss that used to wear dresses and laugh. Her beautiful grey eyes had a spark of hope in them. Those eyes had locked into mine and they were staring right at me. I was overwhelmed by this and looked away as quickly as I could. I had never seen Katniss look at me before.

I looked back at her after a while but she wasn't looking at me anymore. She was picking something up from the ground. A dandelion. And that's when it happened. She smiled. It was a small, barely noticeable smile, but it was beautiful. It was as radiant as the sun. To this day, I still don't know why she smiled. She took the dandelion with her and walked to Prim. They left together in the direction of the Seam, where she and her family lives.

 

I wake up after my mother yells my name. I stare from my window to the backyard of my house. A bright yellow patch of color right under my window catches my eye. I smile. The yellow comes from dozens of dandelions. I planted them there after that one day to remind me of Katniss. I thought that maybe the reason she was smiling was because dandelions are her favorite flowers and that was the first one she saw that spring.

”Peeta! Come here right this instant! I need you to go feed the pigs and frost two cakes!” my mother yells. My family owns a bakery. We live in the good part of District 12. The Seam, where Katniss lives, is considered the poor part of Twelve. But in my opinion, the whole district's poor. We might do better than everyone at the Seam but we have our struggles, too. We are just better at hiding them.

I get dressed and go to the kitchen. Mother has already laid out the food for the pigs on the table. There is no one to be seen. I guess they are all in the bakery working.

I give the food to the pigs and go to the bakery. I was correct, my whole family is there. My mother is talking with a customer, trying to make our life look glamorous and my father is behind the counter. My brothers are bringing more bread and cakes to the shelves. This seems like the perfect family but it's not. We are not close. Well, I am the odd one out. Of course, my family loves me and I love them but still there is something missing. The only person I am really close with is my father. He and I are the same and you can tell that we are related. We are more down to earth and don't care for materialistic things that much. My brothers are more like my mother. They are snobby and shallow. I don't want to be mean, but it's true.

I think the reason why my father and I are so much alike is because we both love a Seam girl and we have seen how they struggle. Father doesn't talk about it anymore but I know he loves Katniss's mother. He always has. She used to live close to our house. Then she met Katniss's father and moved with him to the Seam. I never understood why she chose him instead of my father so one day I asked him that.

”You see, she fell in love with him because when he sings, even the birds stop to listen,” father said. I didn't understand what he meant before I heard Katniss sing in class. The birds stopped their singing and listened to her. And that's when I knew I was done for, just like my father.

”The cakes are in the kitchen, go frost them. It might be a big day today but we still have to work. Everyone wants cakes for their celebration this evening,” mother said after the customer had gone. I nod and leave the room. By celebration she means that everyone will celebrate that their kids are still here and not going to be killed in the Hunger Games. Every year the Capitol takes two children from each of the twelve districts and they are put into the Arena to fight to the death. No one from our District ever wins. We are all too weak, especially because the ones who end up going to the Hunger Games are usually from the Seam where almost everyone is starving to death. The only exception is Katniss and her friend Gale's families. That is because they hunt their own food.

It is illegal to hunt or even go out into the woods but no one in District 12 cares enough to actually stop Katniss and Gale from hunting. Besides, I know they sell some of their food to the Peacekeepers, who are the ones that should stop them. Everyone just benefits from their hunting, even my family. My father buys Katniss's squirrels. He always compliments on how she hits them precisely in the eye, without damaging the actual meat.

The only families who won't be celebrating are the families of the children who are picked; the Tributes. No, their families will lock themselves in their houses and cry. No one will be there to try and make them feel better because there is nothing that can fix being chosen as a Tribute.

I just hope Katniss' family will be celebrating tonight.

 

My family is dressed up in our best, fidgeting in the living room as the clock on the wall strikes one o'clock. We all turn our heads toward the clock and start heading for the square silently. The square is one of the best places in District 12. The shops and the people buzzing around make it the most luxurious place in the whole District. Today on the other hand, the whole atmosphere seems to have changed. The shops are all closed. The people are still gathered around, wearing their best clothes, but they are forced here. No one wants to be here to witness another pair of children sent to death.

Father and mother pass the obligatory farewell looks to my brothers and I. Father squeezes my hand before leaving with mother to line up around the edges of the square. I go sign in along with my brothers and we place ourselves close to the middle of the square. I try to search for Katniss but my tries are in vain; she is nowhere to be seen. The other children around me are blocking my view and the only thing I can see very clearly is the stage set up in front of the Justice Building, the podium on it and the twin glass balls filled with paper slips, one ball for girls and one for boys.

The Reaping is about to begin when the town clock strikes two. The mayor reads us the annual story about the history of Panem, the uprising of the districts and the beginning of the Hunger Games. Then he moves on to listing the previous victors from District 12. Well, two people don't exactly make a list, especially when only one of those two is still alive. Haymich Abernathy, the district drunk. He appears on the stage after the listing, drunk as ever, to give the cameras something to film. His follies will surely make everyone in Panem laugh.

After Haymich and the mayor both have cleared out, Effie Trinket, District 12's escort, takes the stage. Her pale white skin, pink hair and unusual clothes make her stand out from everyone else, making it clear that she is from the Capitol.

”Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!” Effie exclaims from the stage. I catch a glimpse of Katniss. I still hear Effie's voice booming over the square but the sudden appearance of Katniss drowns out everything Effie is saying.

Katniss is on my left side and a little bit closer to the stage. She is wearing a blue dress and her brown hair is up instead of the braid she normally wears. I can't see her face. I just wish I could hold her hand and make sure that she is not going anywhere.

Suddenly my eyes are back on Effie and I hear what she is saying. ”Ladies first!” she shouts. _This is it._ She walks toward the glass ball with the girls' names. _Please don't say Katniss's name._ Her hand reaches for the slips and pulls out one of them. _Please._

Effie walks back to the podium, smoothing out the slip of paper while she walks. I am holding my breath, desperately hoping that she doesn't say Katniss's name.

”Primrose Everdeen!” Effie shouts over the square. Her voice echoes inside my head before I actually understand the words. _No, it can't be._ I look over to Katniss. I know what she will do next.


	2. Chapter 2

The crowd starts to murmur in unhappy voices, like always when a twelve-year-old is chosen. The Hunger Games aren't exactly fair in general but when a twelve-year-old like Prim becomes a tribute, the games take on a whole new level of unfairness.

My eyes are fixed on Katniss. I am waiting for her to react. I know she will volunteer for Prim. She loves her sister more than anything and I know she won't let her be a part of the games, even if that means her own life. I know all this, but I cannot do anything to stop it from happening.

Katniss's family will not be celebrating tonight.

There is movement in the corner of my eye so I avert my gaze from Katniss to follow the movement. My eyes find Prim, moving nervously toward the stage.

”Prim!” The helpless cry sounds from the audience. People look around confused, trying to find the source of the cry. But of course I know where to look. ”Prim!” Katniss yells for the second time, this time making her way through the crowd and toward Prim. She reaches Prim and, with a sweep of her arm, pushes Prim behind her.

”I volunteer!” Katniss shouts frantically. ”I volunteer as tribute!” The exact words I was anticipating. I start to feel nauseous. I want nothing more than to shout ”No!” at the top of my lungs. But I won't; it wouldn't help Katniss. I even think of volunteering for her before remembering that a boy cannot volunteer for a girl. There is nothing I can do to fix this, just as there will be nothing that can fix me when Katniss goes into that train that will take her to the Capitol. There is nothing that can fix me _or_ her family.

Katniss's volunteering creates confusion not only in the crowd but on the stage. Someone volunteering as tribute is hardly seen in District 12 so no one is sure what to do next. In the richer districts like 1 and 2 volunteering happens in most Reapings because there tribute means pride and fame whereas here it means that you're pretty much dead already.

”Lovely!” Effie Trinket exclaims. ”But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does not come forth then we, um...” She trails off, trying to remember how the rules go.

“What does it matter?” the mayor says. There's a painful expression on his face when he looks at Katniss. Madge, a friend of Katniss's, the only one besides Gale, is the mayor's daughter so maybe he knows Katniss. ”What does it matter?” he repeats. ”Let her come forward.”

Prim seems to just realize the situation. She starts screaming and clinging to Katniss.

”No, Katniss! No! You can't go!” Prim shouts loud enough for everyone to hear. I see Katniss's lips moving but I can't hear what she is saying.

When Prim doesn't seem to be letting go from Katniss, Gale appears to take her away. Katniss starts to walk up the stairs to the stage.

”Well, bravo! That's the spirit of the Games!” Effie shouts. She looks happy. That's the difference between people from the Capitol and us. For them, this is all just a game. For us, this is slaughter.

”What's your name?” Effie asks Katniss when she reaches the podium.

”Katniss Everdeen.”

”I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!” But we don't. Not a single person claps. Normally we all clap because we have to but this year... It doesn't seem right. None of this seems right.

The silence is still continuing when a thought comes to my mind. There is a sign known in our district that means goodbye to someone you love. I touch the three middle fingers of my left hand to my lips and point them toward Katniss. This creates a movement in the crowd and I see hands rising from all around the square. It doesn't take long for everyone's left hand's three middle fingers to be pointed at Katniss.

Haymitch Abernathy picks this moment to go congratulate Katniss for having the honor of being a tribute. He goes staggering across the stage to Katniss.

”Look at her. Look at this one!” Haymitch bellows and puts his arm around Katniss's shoulder. Katniss flinches. ”I like her! Lots of... Spunk! More than you!” He takes his arm off of Katniss and walks to the front of the stage. ”More than you!” he shouts again, this time pointing directly at a camera fixed on him.

Is he talking to all of us in the square or to _them_? To the Capitol? Could Haymitch really be stupid –or drunk– enough to insult the Capitol? Before he can say anything else, Haymitch falls off the stage and knocks himself unconscious.

”What an exciting day!” Effie exclaims to get the attention back to the Reaping. ”But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!” _Oh, that's right._ I had completely forgotten that.

I look to my brothers. We all share a look that seems to say ”Good luck, I hope it's not you.” I am not scared for myself. The odds for me to be picked are slim. The same goes for my brothers. Besides, I don't think it matters what happens to me. I get picked, I don't get picked, either way my heart is crushed into little pieces and it will never be whole again.

This time Effie moves faster. She picks the first slip of paper she touches and opens it.

”Peeta Mellark!” she shouts. _Oh._ That's me. I look at my brothers. They are both looking at me with pitiful eyes. I don't even know what I should say to them so I say nothing, I just walk away, toward the stage.

The situation hits me while I walk to the stage. I am going to the Hunger Games. With Katniss. She might kill me, or worse, I might have to be there when she dies. Of course I would never kill her –and I couldn't even if I wanted to because she is stronger than me– but we both could die at the Cornucopia. I could die a second after her, just so I would have to see her die.

I am on the verge of panicking but I try to keep it inside. I don't want to appear weak in front of the cameras. I want to still be myself and not a weakling. I don't want to become just another game piece for the Capitol.

I climb the steps to the stage and walk beside Effie. I look at Katniss and find her staring at me. I look away. Effie asks for volunteers but of course, there are none. I have my brothers and friends too, but no one would die for me.

The mayor gets behind the podium and starts to read the Treaty of Treason, like every year. I hardly listen; I just stare at the ground. A few times I try to look for my father in the audience but I can't find him.

When the mayor finishes reading, he motions for Katniss and me to shake hands. I look at Katniss and hold out my hand. She takes it. Her hand feels cold and I can feel the scars she has on her palms but it still feels nice to be able to hold her hand. I wish I wouldn't ever have to let go.

The national anthem of Panem starts playing and we have to face the audience again. I cherish the moment. This is the last time I will ever see the faces of these people again.


	3. Chapter 3

As the national anthem comes to an end, Peacekeepers come to escort Katniss and me inside the Justice Building. Once we are inside, the Peacekeepers separate us into different rooms.

The room I am taken to has a soft blue carpet and a couch and chairs made of a blue sleek fabric. We have a couch made of the same fabric at home but I never bothered to learn the name of it. I suppose now it might be too late to find out.

I sit alone in the room waiting for someone to come. I know this is the place where I am supposed to say goodbye to my family and they should be here soon. We only have an hour for goodbyes before I board the train to the Capitol.

After about five minutes of waiting in silence, I hear someone turning the door handle. The door slides open to reveal my mother with my father and brothers behind her. Mother's eyes are red and puffy from crying but somehow she doesn't seem that sad. She looks the part but she seems like she has already made peace with my fate.

”Oh, Peeta,” father says with a pitiful tone. I rise up and he comes to hug me. I hadn't cried before but the hug is too much for me and tears start to fall down my cheeks. Father lets go and gives room for the rest of my family to hug me as well.

When the hugging is over, we all sit down, I on the couch between my parents and my brothers on the chairs. There's an awkward silence as my family tries to think of what to say next. What should _I_ say? How can I say goodbye to them? Do I just put it bluntly or try to make it seem like there is even a flicker of hope for me? Well, there isn't so why should I lie when they know it too?

”You know, maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner this year,” mother says when the silence becomes unbearable. ”She's a survivor, that one.” _She?_ I am confused for a second but then it hits me. Mother is talking about Katniss, not me. What she said is true, I know, but _why_ would she say that? Was that supposed to make me feel better? Maybe she should go say goodbye to Katniss instead, I'm sure she would appreciate it more.

Even though I want to shout at her for saying that, I only nod and stay silent. This is the last time I will ever see her so shouting at her is not worth it. Besides, I would rather have Katniss win and come back home than somehow remarkably survive the games myself. Might as well have my family think that too.

At least mother's remark opened up a conversation. Father mentions something about being worried for Katniss's family after Katniss will no longer be providing food for them. I assure him that Katniss's friend will take care of them. My mother declares that the cakes will not look as good now that I won't be frosting them. She looks to my brothers and says that they'll have to learn to frost better. Both my brothers sigh.

After twenty minutes of meaningless chatter, mother announces that they should get back to the bakery now. There's a round of hugs and goodbyes at the door. When father and I are the only ones inside the room, he pats my shoulder.

”I will miss you,” he says. I can feel tears forming in my eyes. Talking seems like a bad idea so I just nod. Father leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I return teary-eyed to the couch to wait for a Peacekeeper to take me to the train. There is still time for goodbyes but I know no one else will come. Somehow that makes me even sadder. I'll be long gone by this time next year and only one person has admitted to missing me. There is no way of stopping the tears now.

 

Katniss and I are taken to the train station where reporters are already waiting for us with their cameras. I catch Katniss looking at me with her eyes squinted and brow wrinkled. She looks confused; like she's trying to figure something out. Before I can think more of it, she looks away.

After a few minutes of standing in front of the train and getting our pictures taken, Katniss and I are allowed inside. No more than a couple seconds have passed when the train starts moving toward the Capitol.

The train speeds up to its top speed, which is faster than I have ever travelled. Even if I had been in a train before for some reason, our train would most likely be almost twice as fast.

The Peacekeepers divide Katniss and me again, without a word leading us to our private chambers. The Peacekeeper that escorted me disappeared right after I stepped inside my chamber and the door slides shut.

I cannot think of anything to do, so I just sit on the bed and look outside the small window in my room. I don't really see more than a blur of colors; different shades of green and a bluish hue that has to be the sky showing through the trees.

Effie Trinket shows up to tell me that there are clean clothes in the drawers and that I can wear them and do whatever I want, as long as I am ready for supper in an hour. I decide to take a shower to kill time. It takes me a while to get the water running because I have never used a shower like that before. We have a shower at home but it is a lot simpler and rarely works anyway. The shower in the train has different options for the pressure of the water and a lot of other buttons that I don't even dare push.

When I get out of the shower, I go search the drawers to find something to wear. All of the clothes seem to be exactly my size. There are dozens of different colors and fabrics. The train takes only about a day to reach the Capitol, but still there are more clothes in the drawers than I have at home.

I pick a pale blue shirt and trousers and put them on. The clock in my room shows that I still have forty minutes before supper, so I decide to leave my chambers to explore the train. I walk around the narrow corridors of the train alone. There are no sounds that would indicate other people being anywhere near me.

The first room I find is most likely the dining room. There is a table made out of a dark wood at the center of the room. It is still empty, so I keep walking. The next room I come across with is some kind of a living room. There are chairs and sofas and a bar with bottles full of different colored liquids. Haymitch Abernathy is at the bar, pouring a red liquid into a glass. He turns around when he hears the door slide shut behind me.

”Hey,” he says and takes a sip from his glass. ”Peeta, right?”

”Yes,” I answer. He takes another sip from his glass. I'm surprised he is even able to stand; he looks drunk enough to be passed out on the floor.

”I think I am going to take a nap,” he announces. He grabs the bottle of red liquid and staggers out of the room. I stand still for a while before heading back to the dining room to wait for the supper.

 

A door in the dining room slides open. At first, I think it's just another avox making the room ready for supper but avoxes don't tend to have pink hair or shoes that clatter when they walk.

”Oh good, you are already here!” Effie exclaims when she spots me sitting at the table. ”I'll just go and get Katniss and we can begin.” And with that, she leaves the room. Avoxes circle around me, setting expensive-looking dishes on the table.

A few minutes later, Effie returns with Katniss. Katniss had also decided to change out of her Reaping clothes, just like me. She is wearing a dark green shirt and trousers. Something golden is flickering at her chest; a pin of some sort, I think.

”Where's Haymitch?” Effie asks as she sits down on a chair across the table from where I am seated. Katniss chooses to sit on the chair next to me. Now that she is closer to me, I see the golden pin clearer. It's a bird – a mockingjay, I think – holding on to an arrow with its beak. I wonder where Katniss got the pin. I've never seen her wear it before.

”Last time I saw him, he said he was going to take a nap,” I say, recalling my earlier encounter with the drunk Haymitch.

”Well, it's been an exhausting day,” says Effie, clearly relieved to hear that Haymitch won't be joining us.

The same avoxes that set the table bring the food to us. The supper consists of many different courses. There is carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops and mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, chocolate cake. Effie keeps reminding Katniss and me to save room for more but we both stuff ourselves at every course. Food like this doesn't exist in District 12; there is so much to choose from and everything is so good and freshly made.

”At least you two have decent manners,” Effie says as we finish eating the main course. ”The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion.”

I try to recall last year's tributes. They were both hungry kids from the Seam that most likely had never felt full in their entire life. Getting carried away with eating and forgetting manners is surely justified in their situation. Of course, what does Effie know? She has never had to go hungry.

Effie's comment seemed to make Katniss angry; she starts eating the food with her hands. At the end of the meal, she wipes her hands on the white table cloth. This makes Effie purse her lips together in disgust.

Immediately after the meal, I regret eating as much as I did. I find it hard to keep the food down. The richness of it was too much for my stomach. When I glance at Katniss, I notice that she also seems to be struggling with keeping the food down.

Somehow Katniss and I both manage to hold the food in. Effie leads us to the living room where I saw Haymitch to watch the recap of all the Reapings across Panem. We watch the other tributes getting picked. The tributes from One and Two look fierce, they look like they could kill you before you can even react. The only tributes that I could possibly beat in a fight would be the cripple boy from Ten and the little girl from Eleven.

They show our Reaping last. Prim's name called, Katniss volunteering, the silent salute that I started. At first I fear that Katniss will be able to see that I was the one who started it, but that part isn't shown on the recap. They only show the crowd when all of us have our hands up. Then it cuts to Haymitch's drunken mishaps, the calling of my name and finally, they show Katniss and me shaking hands. The programme ends after playing the national anthem.

Effie is mortified by how her hair looked in the recap. ”Your mentor has a lot to learn about presentation. A lot about televised behavior,” she complains.

I cannot help but laugh. Haymitch was just being his natural self. There's nothing that could stop him from behaving like he does. ”He was drunk,” I say. ”He's drunk every year.”

”Every day,” Katniss adds. I look at her to find her smiling. The first time I've seen her smile in a long, long time. Seeing her smile makes me so happy that I smile too.

”Yes,” Effie snaps at us. ”How odd you two find it amusing. You know your mentor is your lifeline to the world in these Games. The one who advises you, lines up your sponsors, and dictates the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch can well be the difference between your life and your death!”

As if on cue, Haymitch staggers into the living room. ”I miss supper?” he asks, still drunk despite his nap. Then he vomits all over the carpet and falls in his own vomit.

”So laugh away!” Effie shouts. She hops around the pool of vomit and Haymitch and leaves the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Katniss glances at me. She looks nauseous. I _feel_ nauseous. The reek of vomit has filled up the whole living room and as if that's not enough, we have to look at Haymitch lying in it. So, by some silent agreement, Katniss and I decide to help Haymitch to his feet.

”I tripped?” Haymitch asks. ”Smells bad.” Not knowing that he is covered in bile, Haymitch wipes his nose with his hand, smearing his face with vomit. The sight of him makes me feel more and more nauseated, to the point where it is hard to even look at him without feeling my dinner coming up.

”Let's get you back to your room,” I say. ”Clean you up a bit.” I pity Haymitch for being the clueless fool he is. Then, I pity Katniss and me for having to rely on him to take care of us once we get into the arena.

We start leading Haymitch to his room but end up nearly carrying him there. Because we can't exactly set him down on the clean bedsheets, we carry him to the bathtub and turn on the shower. He barely even notices the water streaming down on him.

”It's OK,” I say to Katniss. ”I'll take it from here.” Even though I am not at all eager to bathe Haymitch and help would be appreciated, I don't want Katniss to be forced to strip Haymitch and clean him.

”All right,” Katniss says, clearly relieved. ”I can send one of the Capitol people to help you.”

”No, I don't want them,” I reply instantly. I find it hard being near the Capitol people – the avoxes – and I don't want to spend any extra time with them, even in a situation like this.

Before today, I had only heard of avoxes. I had never actually met one. I don't know why, but being near an avox makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it's because of what they have been put through in the Capitol. Even though they are rebels, it seems unnecessarily cruel to remove their tongues and enslave them. And I don't think their rebellion is unjustified or wrong, exactly. We are all under the Capitol's control and the avoxes were just brave – or stupid – enough to take a stand.

Katniss nods and leaves me alone with Haymitch. I remove his smelly clothes and put them in a pile on the bathroom floor. The avoxes can take care of the clothes in the morning.

Right as I am about to start washing Haymitch, the train stops. Out of curiosity, I leave the bathroom to go look out of the bedroom window to see what happened. Because it is already dark outside, I can't see much. All I see is trees and stars; nothing out of the ordinary. I return to the bathroom, assuming that the train just stopped to refuel.

Reluctantly, I start bathing Haymitch. He has fallen asleep so washing him is difficult, although a lot less uncomfortable than if he were awake. After about ten minutes of struggling with him, I decide that he is clean enough. I get him out of the tub and wrap a towel around him. He is almost awake now, which makes it slightly easier to dress him and put him to bed.

Before I leave, I take a final look at Haymitch, making sure that he will manage on his own now. He starts snoring loudly, as to assure me that I can leave, that he won't even wake up before morning. So I head back to my room.

When I see my bed, I realize just how tired I am. I can barely keep my eyes open anymore. Too tired to shower or do anything else, I change my clothes and go to bed. The train – rapidly moving towards the Capitol again – rocks me to sleep as my thoughts transform into incoherent dreams of my family, bright yellow fields of dandelions, Katniss, and the Hunger Games; all somehow morphed together into one dream.

 

Someone knocks on the door of my room. Before I can answer, I hear Effie's voice.

”Up, up, up! It's going to be a big, big, big day!” she calls. She doesn't wait for me to respond; I hear her heels clattering away from the door. I have been awake for some time now, so I am ready to leave right away and go to the dining room to get breakfast. Haymitch is already at the table but Effie or Katniss are not there yet. Effie is most likely on her way to wake Katniss up.

I sit next to Haymitch. As soon as I am seated, an enormous amount of food is brought in front of me; eggs, ham, fried potatoes, fruits and rolls. An avox pours orange juice into the glass in front of me and another one brings a steaming cup of coffee and hot chocolate to me. There's enough food to keep me fed for several days, a week even.

”Dig in!” Haymitch says and stuffs his mouth with fried potatoes and ham. His face is puffy and red and he has obviously started drinking already. Or maybe he just never stops. Maybe he drinks so much that he never sobers up. I grab a roll and take a bite. It tastes better than even the most delicious rolls that my father makes.

Effie arrives and takes a seat. The avoxes bring her food immediately after she sits down. She has on a pink wig and a colorful, bizarre dress.

”Good morning!” she says enthusiastically, with a big smile on her face.

”Easy there. That high-pitched voice of yours is making my head hurt,” Haymitch grunts.

”Well, maybe you should stop drinking in the morning if you're worried about getting a headache,” Effie mutters. ”Even better, stop drinking completely!” I take a sip of hot chocolate, wishing that Effie and Haymitch won't start yelling at each other. I really don't want to witness that right now.

”But honey, how will I bare to look at you and your insane clothes if I don't drink before seeing you?” Haymitch says. Effie looks like she is about to explode. She rises from her seat, almost knocks down her chair, and grabs her coffee.

”That is enough! I don't have to listen to a drunken fool like you!” Effie shouts and walks away. Haymitch starts to laugh. I keep eating, pretending like nothing even happened.

”Sit down! Sit down!” Haymitch says. I look behind me and see Katniss walking toward the dining table. She is wearing the same outfit as yesterday, with the same golden pin attached to her shirt. She sits down in front of Haymitch and receives her platter of food and cups of hot chocolate and coffee. Katniss is staring at the cup with hot chocolate in it.

”They call it hot chocolate,” I say when she keeps staring at the cup. She has probably never tasted it before, or even heard that something like hot chocolate exists. ”It's good.” She looks at me with a raised eyebrow and then looks at the cup. She takes a small sip from the cup. It seems she likes it, since she doesn't even touch her food before finishing the whole cup.

”So you're supposed to give us advice,” Katniss says to Haymitch after she stops eating. I dip a piece of roll in hot chocolate. Haymitch takes a sip of some strange red drink that definitely has alcohol in it.

”Here's some advice. Stay alive,” Haymitch says and bursts out laughing. I exchange a look with Katniss before she looks away. Haymitch infuriates me. He is the only one who can make sure that Katniss survives the games and he dares to joke like that?

”That's very funny,” I say. Out of anger, I hit the glass of red liquid out of his hand. The glass shatters and sends the liquid flowing toward the back of the train. ”Only not to us.”

Haymitch just stares at me for a moment, then punches me on the jaw so hard that I fall from my chair. There's a loud bang but I can't see what happens.

”Well, what's this? Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?” Haymitch says. I manage to rise up. My jaw is aching, so I get some ice from the table and start to raise it to my jaw.

”No,” Haymitch says, stopping me. ”Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've enev made it to the arena.”

”That's against the rules,” I reply, but still put the ice down.

”Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better,” Haymitch says. I know he's a drunk but what he said is actually very clever. After all, he did win the games once.

”Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?” Haymitch asks Katniss. That's when I notice a knife sticking out of the table. _So that's what the loud bang was._ Katniss yanks the knife off the table and throws it into the wall across the room. The knife hits the seam between two panels.

”Stand over here. Both of you,” says Haymitch, nodding to the middle of the dining room. We do as he says. Haymitch circles us, examining our bodies. ”Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough. All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking and I'll stay sober enough to help you. But you have to do exactly what I say.”

”Fine,” I say. The deal isn't much, but it sure is better than having no help at all. And I know I will need all the help I can get to somehow come up with a plan for the arena. I need to help Katniss win, if it's the last thing I do. Well, it _will_ be the last thing I do, if all goes according to my plan.

”So help us,” Katniss says. ”When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone–”

”One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist,” Haymitch says.

”But–” Katniss begins.

”No buts. Don't resist,” Haymitch says. He takes a bottle of blue liquid from the table and leaves the room. Right when he leaves, the whole room goes dark. There are a few lights inside but the outside is as dark as night. We must have entered the tunnel that leads to the Capitol.

Katniss and I stay silent and still in the darkness. It is only when the train slows down and light comes through the windows when we move. Both of us rush closer to the windows to see the Capitol; the magnificent buildings and shiny cars, the oddly dressed people, all the artificial colors of which Capitol is made of.

The people notice the train and begin to point at us. Katniss moves away from the window but I stay. I want to charm the possible sponsors that could be looking at me right now so I smile politely and wave at the people, even though I despise them.When they can no longer see us because we have arrived at the station, I stop and move away from the window. That's when I see Katniss staring at me.

”Who knows?” I say and shrug. ”One of them may be rich.” Katniss looks at me weirdly. She seems somehow surprised or disappointed, I am not sure. She looks away before I can examine her face more. Afterwards, she doesn't talk to me _or_ even look at me anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

”What do you think?” Katniss whispers to me as we stand in the chariot, waiting for the opening ceremonies to start. ”About the fire?”

I have been at the Remake Center ever since we got out of the train. My stylist, Portia, and her team have scrubbed my whole body raw, complained about the bruise on my face and how it ruins the look they were going for, cut and styled my hair and dressed me in a black unitard, leather boots, a cape that resembles fire and a headpiece that matches the cape. Katniss's outfit is identical to mine.

Katniss has also been at the hands of stylists. Her hair is on a braid like always, but it looks neater and there are no stray hairs visible. She is wearing make up; not a lot, but enough to make a difference in her appearance. She looks strange like this. Of course, she is beautiful. Nothing could ever make Katniss appear ugly to me. I am just used to the way Katniss looks naturally. That is the Katniss I love.

Portia and Katniss's stylist, Cinna, are planning on setting our capes on fire right at the beginning of the ceremonies, as we ride in our chariot through the Capitol to the City Circle. The fire isn't real, of course. It is just made to look like real fire. Or that's what Portia says, anyway. For all I know, Katniss and I will be scorched before we even get to the City Circle.

”I'll rip off your cape if you'll rip off mine,” I say, gritting my teeth.

”Deal,” Katniss says. It's a relief to have Katniss talk to me and look at me again. The morning in the train was strange; I though Katniss would certainly never speak to me again. But when we were united again, she acted like nothing had even happened. Maybe nothing did. Maybe I just saw something in her eyes that wasn't actually there.

”I know we promised Haymitch we'd do exactly what they said, but I don't think he considered this angle,” Katniss says.

”Where is Haymitch, anyway? Isn't he supposed to protect us from this sort of thing?” I ask.

”With all that alcohol in him, it's probably not advisable to have him around an open flame,” Katniss replies. I let out a small laugh and suddenly, we are both laughing more than we should. I guess we are both just nervous and need something to calm us down. Not only are we going to be in the arena soon, fighting for our lives – or fighting for Katniss's life at least –, but now we are at a risk of becoming human torches, too.

The opening music starts to echo throughout the Capitol. All the districts' chariots ride out before us. District 1 and District 2 get the most applause from the people, just like always. The rest of the districts get some applause, but the applause gets quieter after every chariot.

We are just about to ride out when Cinna appears to the chariot with a lighted torch.

”Here we go then,” he says, and before we can even react he has set our capes and headdresses on fire. My heart is racing, waiting for the pain to come, but it doesn't. The flames only tickle a bit, but I don't feel the fire burning my skin.

”It works,” Cinna sighs in relief. ”Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!” Cinna climbs out of the chariot. He shouts and gestures something, but the music makes it impossible to hear him.

”What's he saying?” Katniss asks. Cinna grabs his hand with his other hand, then points at us.

”I think he said for us to hold hands,” I say. I take Katniss's hand in mine. Her hands are softer than they were yesterday at the Reaping. The cuts she had have vanished.

We look to Cinna for confirmation. He nods and gives us a thumbs up. Then we start moving and soon enough, we have entered the city.

The crowd gasps at the sight of us. There's a silence that quickly changes to cheers when the audience realizes that we are not actually on fire. They cheer for our district, they shout our names. Katniss and I both stay still for a moment, but then she starts to wave and smile. I do the same while still holding her hand. Her grip on my hand has tightened. I'm thankful for that; it makes the situation less scary.

For the first time since we were set ablaze, I actually look at Katniss. She looks radiant with the flames illuminating her face. She is smiling; the smile looks genuine and makes me smile even wider. Katniss starts blowing kisses at the crowd, which makes them cheer even louder. They are showering us with flowers and shouting our names.

The cheers, the flames, the music, having Katniss next to me, it's all exhilarating. We are the highlight of the ceremony; everyone will remember District 12 this year. And if this doesn't give us at least a couple sponsors, nothing will.

Someone throws a rose for Katniss. She blows a kiss to the crowd and they cheer her name, desperate for more kisses. Everybody loves her.

When we get to the City Circle, Katniss starts to let go of my hand. I tighten my grip.

”No, don't let go of me,” I beg. ”Please. I might fall out of this thing.”

”OK,” Katniss says and holds onto my hand. I'm relieved. I don't want to ever let go of Katniss. I know I have to at some point, but for now I want to cherish this.

Our chariot comes to a halt when we arrive before President Snow's mansion. The music stops and the crowd quiets down to hear the president's welcoming speech. While he speaks, the faces of the tributes are shown on the large screens around the City Circle. It isn't hard to notice that Katniss and I get the most screen time.

We start moving again when the national anthem starts to play. The chariot takes us to the Training Center where, as soon as we get there, the prep teams appear, praising us. Some of the other tributes around us are staring at Katniss and me, shooting dirty looks at us. We might have earned sponsors from the crowd, but we also got enemies. We are a threat to the other tributes now and – just like the audience – they won't forget us when we get to the arena.

Portia and Cinna help us down from the chariot and carefully remove the flaming capes and headdresses. Portia extinguishes the flames with some sort of a spray and with those flames, the exhilaration vanishes.

I got so used to holding Katniss's hand that I don't even realize that we are still holding hands. I only notice it when Katniss lets go.

”Thanks for keeping hold of me. I was getting a little shaky there,” I say. I am sure that without Katniss I would have fallen off the chariot before we got to the City Center. Although, because the crowd was fixated on Katniss, no one would have seen me fall off.

”It didn't show,” Katniss assures me. ”I'm sure no one noticed.”

”I'm sure they didn't notice anything but you. You should wear flames more often. They suit you.” I smile at Katniss. She doesn't do anything for a while, but then she kisses my cheek, right on the bruise Haymitch gave me. The kiss was so unexpected that I don't even know how to react. I just stand there, without saying a word, looking at Katniss.


	6. Chapter 6

We ride the Training Center's crystal-walled elevator to the 12th floor, the floor that will be ours before we go to the arena. The 12th floor is enormous, at least four times the size of our house back in District Twelve. The train that brought us here pales in comparison with this place, and it was already the most luxurious place I had ever seen before.

While giving us a brief tour, Effie blabbers on about how everyone loved us and how she has been talking us up all day. She is clearly excited because we must be the first interesting pair of tributes she has ever had the pleasure to chaperone. Most of the tributes from Twelve fade into the background before the games and die straight away when they get to the arena. But this year is different. We were the highlight of the opening ceremonies and everyone is eager to see more of us. But of course, being the favorite of the public doesn't mean that you are certain to win the games. Nothing can guarantee winning, especially for someone as untalented as me. Katniss on the other hand... Well, she has a chance. And I will do everything I can to help her survive the games, not only because of her, but because of her family too.

”I've been very mysterious, though,” I hear Effie say. My thoughts distract me and I only hear pieces of whatever Effie is talking about. But I hear enough to understand that she is talking about the things she has told our possible sponsors.

”I said, and this was very clever of me, I said, 'Well, if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!'” Effie beams, sounding very proud of herself. Her tone is so excited that Katniss and I have to pretend to be enthusiastic about her wittiness even though we both know that she's wrong. Coal doesn't turn into pearls. But I guess it doesn't matter if she's wrong, as long as she is able to get us some sponsors. And anyway, it is nice that she is at least trying her best to help us, which is more that can be said about Haymitch.

After the tour, Effie and Katniss disappear into their quarters. I decide to keep walking around because it seems to calm me down. I have accepted my fate well enough, but I'm still nervous, especially now that I have seen all the other tributes.

”Are you looking for something?” someone asks behind me. I turn around and see Cinna looking at me.

”No, I'm just walking. I can't really think of anything else to do,” I reply.

”Well, have you been on the roof yet?” Cinna asks, pointing at a flight of stairs at the end of the corridor we are in. I shake my head. I had noticed the stairs, but I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go there. ”You can see the whole city from there. I was there with Portia earlier today. I can take you there if you want.”

”Okay,” I say. Cinna starts walking towards the stairs and I follow him. The stairs lead to a small dome-shaped room that has a door to the roof. Right after Cinna opens the door, I can feel a warm breeze on my face.

”The garden is really beautiful. Come,” Cinna says, walking across the roof to an area with many different flowers and potted trees. The tree branches have wind chimes hanging from them. They clink in the wind.

”So, did you and Katniss know each other before the Reaping?” Cinna asks to break the silence.

”Yes. No,” I say. Cinna laughs.

”Which one is it?” he asks.

”Well, I knew her. But I don't think she knew me. We did go to the same school – the only school in District Twelve – and my father knew her mother when they were young,” I explain. Cinna nods.

”District Twelve is such a small place that she must have recognized you in the Reaping, especially since you went to the same school.” His voice sounds almost condoling. I nod.

”Why do you think they let us come up here?” I ask. Cinna clearly doesn't understand my question. He looks at me confusedly.

”What do you mean?”

”Well, it would be pretty easy for someone to fall from here,” I clarify. What I really meant was that it would be easy to jump from here, but I don't know if it's right to say that outloud. I have a feeling that someone could be listening to us, even though the wind chimes do drown out some of our conversation.

”It is impossible to fall down. There's an electric field that catches you and throws you back on the roof,” Cinna goes near the edge and holds out his hand. There's a zap and he quickly pulls his hand back. ”See?”

”That's good. It would be unfortunate if someone were to fall down right before the hunger games,” I say. I wonder if they have always had the electric field in here or if someone has previously jumped down. I don't remember hearing about a tribute who had died before even going to the arena but I guess that's something that the Capitol would want everyone to forget. We can't have people thinking that it isn't such an honor to be a tribute, can we?

”It definitely would,” Cinna says. ”I think we should both go get ready for dinner now. I have a special surprise for Katniss and you.” I nod. We walk downstairs and go into our rooms. I didn't know that the stylists stayed here with us, but now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. They would be spending a lot of time in the Training Center anyway, might as well sleep here.

I haven't been in my room before now. The room is large, but it only has a few pieces of furniture; an enormous bed, a sofa, a little coffee table, and some cabinets, undoubtedly filled with clothes that fit me perfectly. There's a large window on one side of the room that overlooks the whole Capitol. The walls have control panels that tempt me to press each button in them, just to see what would happen. But because I am afraid of pressing the wrong button and causing something terrible to happen, I stay away from the panels, at least before I get into the shower. The shower doesn't turn on unless you use the panel so I press some buttons on it, controlling the temperature, pressure, and scent of the water.

After fifteen minutes, I am completely ready for dinner. I realize that I don't actually know _when_ we will be having dinner so I decide to go to the dining area already. I am the first one there, if you don't count the avoxes that shuffle around. At first I think of leaving because I don't want to be alone with the avoxes, but then I notice the balcony and go there instead.

I'm not alone in the dining room for long. Portia and Cinna join me first, then Effie and Katniss, and lastly Haymitch. The avoxes serve us food, we eat and talk about today's opening ceremonies. This must be the first time Effie and Haymitch have behaved well in each other's company, probably because Portia and Cinna are here.

About halfway through the dinner I start to wonder what surprise Cinna was talking about earlier. I get an answer soon enough, when an avox brings a beautiful cake to the table and lights it up. Flames dance around the edges of the cake for a while until disappearing.

”What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?” Katniss asks. This is the first time she has spoken during the dinner. ”That's the last thing I wa– Oh! I know you!” I realize she is talking to the avox girl that brought the cake. The girl quickly shakes her head and hurries away from the table.

”Don't be ridiculous, Katniss. How could you possibly know an avox? The very thought!” Effie exclaims. Everyone at the table is staring at Katniss, waiting for an explanation.

”What's an avox?” Katniss asks. She looks very confused. _Someone who upset the Capitol,_ I think. I don't say anything because that isn't traditionally how you would describe an avox. Avoxes are seen as criminals, but _I_ don't think of them that way. Sure, some of them might be actual criminals, but the rest of them have just expressed their dissatisfaction with the Capitol.

”Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so she can't speak. She's probably a traitor of some sort,” Haymitch says. ”Not likely you'd know her.” He sounds more like he's advising Katniss not to know her, even if she were to actually know her. How could Katniss know her anyway? We don't get a lot of avoxes in Twelve, and the ones that have been there have only stayed for a couple of hours with the Capitol people during the Reaping.

”And even if you did, you're not to speak to one of them unless it's to give an order. Of course, you don't really know her,” Effie says.

”No, I guess not, I just–” Katniss trails off. She doesn't seem to have an explanation. So maybe she does know the girl, but can't admit it, after hearing that she should not know her. But where does she know her from?

”Delly Cartwright,” I say, snapping my fingers. ”That's who it is. I kept thinking she looked familiar as well. Then I realized she's a dead ringer for Delly.” That's a lie, of course. Delly Cartwright looks nothing like the avox girl. But Katniss accepts my help.

”Of course, that's who I was thinking of. It must be the hair,” she says. The avox has red hair. Delly's hair is a yellowish color. But I nod anyway.

”Something about the eyes, too,” I say.

”Oh well. If that's all it is,”says Cinna. ”And yes, the cake has spirits, but all the alcohol has burned off. I ordered it specially in honor of your fiery debut.” Cinna looks at me, as if to signal that this was the surprise he was talking about. I smile.

We eat the cake and then move on to the sitting room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies. I try to concentrate on watching the other tributes, but I can't help but stare at us when we are on the screen.

”Whose idea was the hand holding?” Haymitch asks.

”Cinna's,” Portia replies.

”Just the perfect touch of rebellion. Very nice,” says Haymitch. I guess it was kind of rebellious. I hadn't thought of it before. The other tributes didn't even acknowledge each other in the chariots, but we presented ourselves as friends.

”Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it. Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk,” Haymitch says, dismissing us from the room.

Katniss and I walk down the corridor to our rooms. I keep thinking about what the link between her and the avox girl is, so when we reach her room, I know I have to ask her about it or I won't be able to sleep all night.

”So, Delly Cartwright. Imagine finding her lookalike here,” I say. Katniss stays silent for a long while. She must have understood that I want her to explain what happened back there, but maybe she's not sure if she can tell me. Or maybe she can't tell me because we might be overheard by someone.

”Have you been on the roof yet?” I ask. Katniss shakes her head. ”Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The wind's a bit loud though.” Loud enough for no one to overhear us.

”Can we just go up?” Katniss asks.

”Sure,” I say. ”Come on.” She follows me up the stairs, all the way to the roof. I lead her to the edge of the roof so that she'll have a better view of the city.

”I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side?” I say.

”What'd he say?” Katniss asks.

”You can't,” I say, holding out my hand over the edge, just like Cinna did. There's a sharp zap and an impulse makes me jerk my hand back.

”Always worried about our safety,” Katniss says. ”Do you think they're watching us right now?” I don't have to ask who _they_ are. I feel like someone is constantly watching me here. It's good to know I'm not the only one who noticed that.

”Maybe,” I say. The wind might not be enough to drown out our voices. But maybe the wind chimes will do the trick. ”Come see the garden.”

We walk into the garden. I wait for Katniss to say something, now that our voices can't be overheard.

”We were hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, waiting for game,” Katniss whispers.

”You and your father?” I whisper back. I want to have some kind of an idea when this story happened.

”No, my friend Gale,” she whispers. So this couldn't have happened that long ago. ”Suddenly all the birds stopped singing at once. Except one. As if it were giving a warning call. And then we saw her. I'm sure it was the same girl. A boy was with her. Their clothes were tattered. They had dark circles under their eyes from no sleep. They were running as if their lives depended on it.”

Katniss stops talking for a moment, but then she continues. ”The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere. I mean, one moment the sky was empty and the next it was there. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast, like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well. But I'm certain he was dead. We heard the girl scream once. The boy's name, I think. Then it was gone, the hovercraft. Vanished into thin air. And the birds began to sing again, as if nothing had happened.”

”Did they see you?” I ask.

”I don't know. We were under a shelf of rock,” Katniss says. She looks away, silent.

”You're shivering,” I say. I wonder if it is because of the cold or the memory. It _has_ gotten cold outside so I take off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders.

”They were from here?” I ask as I secure a button at Katniss's neck. She nods. ”Where do you suppose they were going?”

”I don't know that,” she says. ”And I don't know why they would leave here.” I can think of a hundred reasons why someone would want to leave the Capitol.

”I'd leave here,” I blurt out, way too loud. I laugh, in a nervous attempt to make my remark sound less like something a traitor would say. ”I'd go home now if they let me. But you have to admit, the food's prime.” That should be enough to make it sound like I'm just homesick and not defying the Capitol, in case someone heard me.

”It's getting chilly. We better go in,” I say. I didn't realize how cold I was before we got back inside again.

”Your friend Gale. He's the one who took your sister away at the Reaping?” I ask while we walk towards our rooms. I know who Gale is, but I still want to keep talking to Katniss.

”Yes,” Katniss says. ”Do you know him?”

”Not really. I hear the girls talk about him a lot. I thought he was your cousin or something. You favor each other,” I say. I did used think they were cousins. I think everyone in Twelve assumes that Katniss and Gale are related somehow. They look very similar, but then again, everyone in the Seam looks like they could be related.

”No, we're not related,” Katniss says.

I nod. ”Did he come to say goodbye to you?”

”Yes,” she says, looking straight into my eyes. ”So did your father. He brought me cookies.” Of course he did. He was so worried about Katniss and her family. But still, hearing that the reason he left so early was that he wanted to visit Katniss... Well, that's not exactly nice to hear.

”Really? Well, he likes you and your sister. I think he wishes he had a daughter instead of a houseful of boys.” I say. I don't think my father doesn't like me, but I know he would choose Katniss's mother over mine, and the rest of Katniss's family, too. ”He knew your mother when they were kids.”

”Oh yes, she grew up in town,” Katniss says. For a moment, it looks like it's the first time she's heard that our parents knew each other.

We're at Katniss's door. ”See you in the morning then,” she says and hands me my jacket.

”See you,” I say and keep walking down the corridor. When I get to my room, I go straight to bed and lie there thinking about Katniss's story and my father visiting her. I'm tired, but my thoughts keep me up for hours. Finally I fall asleep, just in time to get a few hours of sleep before the morning.


End file.
